Temporary support

ABSTRACT

Equipment is temporarily supported above the ground by a self-supporting, readily erectable and transportable mast. The mast comprises a pneumatically inflatable elongate tube having a first end to which the equipment is coupled and a second end coupled to a ground support tripod. The mast is provided with bracing structure adapted to brace the tube when inflated and including respective flexible members extending from each tripod leg to the first end of the tube.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 13/852,629,filed Mar. 28, 2013, which is a continuation of application Ser. No.12/812,946, filed Sep. 16, 2010, which is a national stage ofPCT/GB2009/000112, filed Jan. 16, 2009, which claims foreign priority toAppl. No. GB 0819761.8, filed Oct. 28, 2008, and Appl No. GB 0800703.1,filed Jan. 16, 2008, all of which are hereby incorporated by referencein their entireties.

BACKGROUND

This disclosure relates to the temporary support of signs and of otherequipment, such as electrical equipment, especially floodlights, abovethe ground.

There are numerous circumstances where signs or other equipment,especially electrical equipment of different kinds, needs temporarily tobe mounted on a support above the ground. Examples include temporarytraffic signs or signals, public address speakers at a country show orfor a travelling circus, satellite dishes for military communication,emergency lighting for roadworks, and temporary floodlights foremergency workers at the site of an accident or for sporting fixturesplayed after dark or in poor lighting conditions, especially on publicgrounds.

While there have been numerous prior proposals for temporary supportsfor signs and for electrical and other equipment, mostly in the form ofmechanically connectable structures, the structures proposed have oftensuffered from being too complicated to be readily erectable anddemountable by a single person unfamiliar with the structure, too bulkywhen collapsed to be readily transportable, for example in the boot(trunk) of a small car (automobile), or insufficiently stable.

As will become clear from the detailed description below, the presentdisclosure adopts a different approach.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with a first aspect of this disclosure, equipment isadapted to be temporarily supported above the ground by aself-supporting, readily erectable and transportable mast, the mastcomprising: a pneumatically inflatable elongate tube having a first endto which the equipment is coupled and a second end coupled to a groundsupport tripod, and being provided with bracing structure adapted tobrace the tube when inflated and including respective flexible membersextending from each tripod leg to the first end of the tube.

Preferably the tripod legs are extendable, preferably being telescopic,and are interconnected by bracing struts that may be pushed beyond deadcentre to resist unintentional collapse.

It will readily be appreciated that a bracing structure formed offlexible members is non-rigid, and so allows the structure as a whole tobe packed away for easy transport when not inflated. The principal rigidcomponents of the structure will be the tripod, which, as noted abovepreferably has telescopic legs to reduce its packing space requirement,and the equipment to be supported. As will become clear from thedetailed description below with reference to the accompanying drawings,this enables (say) a temporary floodlight to be transportable in aconventional shoulder bag for erection where required simply by openingthe tripod and inflating the tube.

The flexible members may each comprise a single or multiple ply cordinterconnecting each leg, preferably from a mounting point intermediateits ends when extended, to the first end of the tube, preferably withadditional connections to one or more collars mounted on the tube atpositions intermediate its ends. The additional connections may compriserespective cords extending from the collar to each said flexibleelongate member. Alternatively, each such collar may be provided withthree spokes, the proximal ends of which are coupled to the collar, andthe distal ends of which are coupled to the cord. For each collar, thedistal ends of its spokes are preferably connected by three furthercords.

When the tube is inflated for use, the cords are each placed undertension, thereby bracing the structure as a whole.

In an alternative arrangement, each flexible member may comprise arespective web of material interconnecting a mounting point intermediatethe ends of a leg when extended with the first end and the second end ofthe tube.

When the tube is inflated for use and the tripod positioned on theground, each said web is placed under tension between the first end andthe mounting point and between the first and second ends, therebybracing the structure as a whole.

Preferably the tube is flexible when deflated and substantiallyinflexible when inflated, and includes reinforcing textile strandshelically laid between two layers formed from a material selected fromrubber, substitutes therefor and plastics, the strands being laid at anangle to the axis of the tubular member of 45°, and more preferably, 30°or less.

Preferred embodiments have one or more of the following features: Thesaid material is PVC. The reinforcing strands are formed of a textilematerial, preferably nylon. The reinforcing strands are helically woundin opposing senses about the axis of the tubular member so as to cross.The reinforcing strands are laid at an angle of between 10 and 15°. Thestrands with opposing sense may be interwoven, thereby resulting in awoven textile reinforcing structure. There is a second layer ofreinforcing strands laid at a different angle to the first. The firstlayer of reinforcing strands are laid at an angle of between 10 and 15°and the second layer of strands are laid at an angle of about 45°. Thereis a further layer of reinforcing strands extending parallel to the axisof the tubular member.

The term “equipment” as used herein is intended to encompass any form ofmechanical or electrical equipment desired to be supported at a heightabove the ground, including flags, static signs, manually movable signssuch as a manual Stop/Go board for controlling traffic flow at roadworks, sports equipment such as a netball goal or basketball net, andelectrically operable equipment of diverse kinds, including, inparticular, temporary floodlights flags, electrically operable signs,traffic signals, public address loudspeakers, illuminated road signs,beacons, security, safety or speed cameras, satellite dishes, andtelevision cameras.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of equipment adapted for temporary support above the groundare hereinafter more particularly described by way of example only withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a bag for transporting equipment and mast, and also a handoperable pneumatic pump;

FIG. 2 shows the bag of FIG. 1 opened to reveal the equipment, here atemporary floodlight;

FIG. 3 shows the equipment and mast removed from the bag and coupled tothe pump for inflation of an elongate tube;

FIG. 4 shows the equipment supported by the erected mast;

FIG. 5 shows the equipment and one end of the tube on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 6 shows an alternative intermediate bracing structure coupled to acollar on the tube;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 4 with a bracing structure including avariation of the intermediate structures shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 shows the equipment and mast of FIG. 7 collapsed ready forpacking away in a bag;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 4 with an alternative web-based bracingstructure;

FIG. 10 shows the structure of FIG. 9 partially collapsed for packingaway into its bag;

FIG. 11 shows the structure of FIG. 9 in the course of being so packedaway;

FIGS. 12 to 15 show different forms of equipment mounted to the firstend of a tube in a structure as shown in FIG. 9;

FIG. 16 shows a somewhat schematic and incomplete side elevational viewof a tube with reinforcing strands wound at 45°;

FIG. 17 shows a similar side elevational view of a tube with reinforcingstrands wound at 10°;

FIG. 18 shows a similar side elevational view of a tube with reinforcingstrands wound as in both FIG. 16 and FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is perspective view of a length of the tube of FIG. 18 with thestrands shown between two plastics layers, one shown partly cut away toshow the strands;

FIG. 20 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 19 for a tube with afurther layer of reinforcing strands parallel to the axis of the tube.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As will be apparent from FIGS. 1 and 2, electrical equipment, here atemporary floodlight 1, and a mast for supporting the floodlight, asdescribed in more detail hereinbelow, are readily transportable by asingle person in a shoulder bag 2, and need only a simple manuallyoperable pump, here a stirrup pump 3, for erection of the mast on sitefor temporary support of the electrical equipment above the ground.

A pneumatically inflatable elongate tube 4, shown before inflation inFIG. 3, has a first end 5 coupled to the floodlight, as best shown inFIGS. 2 and 5, and a second end 6 coupled to a tripod 7, which is shownwith its legs 8 unfolded in FIG. 3, but before extending the legs. Inthis arrangement the legs are telescopic, comprising a first leg member9, the proximal end of which is pivoted at 10 to a tripod centre member11 which is coupled to the second end 6 of the tube, and a second legmember 12 which is telescopically slidable within the first leg member 9and clampable thereto when extended. The distal ends 13 of the first legmembers are connected by struts 14 pivoted to ends 13 and also to acentral member 15. The interlinked struts can be pushed beyond deadcentre to brace the tripod against unintentional collapse.

A valve 16 is provided for coupling to a pneumatic line 17 connected topump 3. An electrically operable pump, for example run from a cigarlighter socket in a car (automobile) may be used in place of a manuallyoperable pump. Valve 16 is preferably placed near to the first end oftube 4 so that the mast may only be inflated or deflated when lying onthe ground. This avoids the possible problem of electrical equipmentfalling on someone as the mast is deflated.

As can be seen from FIGS. 2 and 5, floodlight assembly 1 is mounted on abracket 18 so as to be angularly adjustable, bracket 18 being mounted ona disc 19 closing the first end 5 of the tube. Electrical wiring 20 forthe floodlight assembly 1 passes through an air-tight grommet 21 intothe interior of tube 4 and exits at the second end 6 of the tube 4, asbest shown in FIG. 3, through a similar grommet (not shown).

Elongate flexible members, here in the form of guide lines 22interconnect the distal ends of the first leg members with disc 19 atthe first end 5 of the tube. When the tube 4 is adequately inflated(FIG. 4), the guide lines 22 are placed under tension. Guide lines 22may be formed from single or multiple ply cords. Additional bracingcooperating with the guide lines 22 may be provided as shown in FIG. 4.Tube 4 is shown mounting several collars 23 along its length. Hereillustrated only for one such collar, elastic cords 24 are coupledbetween the guide lines 22 and the collar 23. It will be understood thatsimilar elastic cords may be provided for the other collars 23.

An alternative intermediate bracing structure cooperating with guidelines 22 is shown in FIG. 6. In this embodiment, a collar 23 mountsthree spokes 25, the distal end of each spoke being coupled to arespective guide line 22. The spoke distal ends are also preferablyinterconnected by cords 26.

FIG. 7 shows an alternative embodiment of electrical equipment andsupporting mast, employing additional bracing structures with spokes 25as in FIG. 6, but without the additional cords 26. As can be seen fromFIG. 8, even structure such as that of FIG. 7 will readily collapse forpacking away for transport.

Tripod 7 may be provided with castors 27 so that the erected mast andequipment may be wheeled into position. The castors are preferablylockable.

Since the electrical equipment and mast may be packed away in a shoulderbag for ready transport, and may be erected on site simply by openingthe tripod and inflating the tube, transport, erection and taking downcan all be performed by a single person without any tools other than asimple pneumatic pump, and without any assembly or disassembly ofmechanical parts.

Other arrangements are feasible. Thus, as illustrated in FIGS. 9 to 11,it is not necessary for the tube bracing structure to be provided byguide lines. Here respective flexible webs 28 interconnect mountingpoints 29 on the legs 8 with both the first 5 and second 6 ends of thetube. When the tube is inflated and erect on the tripod 7, therespective webs 28 are in tension between their mounting point 29 andthe first end and between the first and second ends. Flexible cords 30are here shown interconnecting the mounting points 29. We have foundthat the illustrated structure remains stable even in a moderate wind.To reduce any tendency for the webs 28 to act as sails, they may includeapertures (not shown) to allow air to pass through the webs. The websmay be connected along their inner edges 31 adjacent the tube 4 tocollars 23 spaced along the tube.

While the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 11 include electricalequipment in the form of a floodlight, persons of ordinary skill willreadily appreciate that similar masts may be employed to mount otherforms of equipment that it is desired to temporarily support above theground, such as, without limitation, public address speakers, temporarytraffic signals or illuminated road signs, security, safety or speedcameras, or communication equipment such as satellite dishes, or evenequipment that is not electrical, such as, without limitation,basketball or netball nets, or signs that do not require illumination.FIG. 12 shows a netball goal 32 mounted to a first end of a tube in astructure otherwise as shown in FIG. 9. FIG. 13 shows a public addressloudspeaker 33 mounted by a swivel bracket 34 to a first end of a tubein a structure otherwise as shown in FIG. 9. FIG. 14 shows a closecircuit television camera 35, for example a security camera or a speedcamera, coupled by an adjustable mount 36 to a first end of a tube in astructure otherwise as shown in FIG. 9. FIG. 15 shows a static warningsign 37 mounted to a first end of a tube in a structure otherwise asshown in FIG. 9.

The elongate tube 4 may be formed from a similar material to thatdescribed in our co-pending British Patent Application No: 0501474.1(published as GB 2422322 A) for use in providing inflatable sportsgoals. The material suggested in GB 2422322 for forming the tubularstruts was natural or synthetic rubber, or plastics substitutes,preferably reinforced with nylon thread. Commercial embodiments ofsports goals have since been produced and sold under our RegisteredCommunity Trademark Igoal®, and are formed with a thickness in thematerial of the struts of around 2 mm, and a diameter for the goalpostsand cross-bar of 3 inches (7.62 cm), and work well when inflated with anapplied pressure of around 1 Bar. The tubular members employ inner andouter layers of soft polyvinylchloride (PVC) with nylon threads betweenthe two layers helically wound in opposing senses about the axis of thetube so as to cross, being laid typically with an angle to the axis of80° or more. The two plastics layers are softened to fuse together inthe interstices between the nylon threads. We have found that thisstructure prevents the tube from ballooning (expanding diametrically) inuse. An additional layer of parallel threads preferably runs along thelength of the tubular member to prevent stretching lengthwise in use.

Elongate tubes formed in the same way work well with the structuresdescribed in the present Specification. However, as explained below, andas described and illustrated in our co-pending Patent Application No:0819761.8 (not yet published at the date of filing of the presentapplication), we have found that improved results can be achieved withalternative tubular structures.

In FIG. 16, tube 4 comprises a layer 38 of plastics, suitably arelatively soft plastics material such as PVC, or rubber, overlaid withreinforcing strands 39. The strands 39 comprise a textile material,preferably nylon. In FIG. 16, the strands 39 are wound helically aboutlayer 38 in opposing senses at an angle of 45° to the axis of thetubular member. The opposing sense strands may be interwoven, forming awoven textile reinforcing structure 40.

In FIG. 17, similar reinforcing strands 41 are laid at an angle of 10°,again in opposing senses, the opposing sense strands being interwoven,thereby resulting in a woven textile reinforcing structure 42. Ourexperiments have shown that a tube 4 as illustrated in FIG. 17 would besubstantially more rigid when inflated to the same operating pressurethan a structure as shown in FIG. 16, which is already an improvement onthe structure described in GB 2422322 and that a significantly improvedrigidity can already be detected at an angle reduced from the 45° angleof FIG. 17 to about 30°.

FIGS. 18 and 19 show a preferred structure with two superposedreinforcing layers comprising the woven textile reinforcing structures40 and 42.

It will be understood that in each of FIGS. 16 to 19, the reinforcingstructures are shown incomplete for the purpose of illustration andexplanation, and that in practice the reinforcing structures wouldextend along the entire length of the tube 4.

As best shown in FIG. 19, a second layer 43 of plastics, suitably arelatively soft plastics material such as PVC, or rubber overlies thereinforcing structures. As can be seen from the drawings, the textilestrands are spaced so that, even with two superposed reinforcingstructures, as in FIGS. 18 and 19, there are interstices between thestrands. During application of the second layer 43, or subsequentlythereto, the two layers 38 and 42 are warmed sufficiently to fusetogether through the interstices of the reinforcing layers.

FIG. 20 shows a variation on the structure of FIGS. 18 and 19, in whicha further layer of reinforcing strands 44 is employed, the strands, inthis case, extending parallel to the axis of the tubular member. Thesestrands help to prevent the tube 4 stretching lengthwise.

For most purposes contemplated by the present invention, we find that atube 4, as shown in FIGS. 18 and 19 or in FIG. 20, having a diameter of3 inches (7.62 cm) when inflated to a typical inflation pressure ofaround 1 Bar, namely between 10 and 20 psi (6.89 to 13.79*10⁴ pascals),realisable with a foot pump or with an inexpensive tyre pressure pumpoperating from the cigar lighter socket of a vehicle, and an overallthickness of 2 mm, works well. The textile strands are preferably in theform of thin textile thread. The textile thread may compriseconventional nylon sewing thread. It will be understood, however, thatdifferent diameters and thicknesses may be chosen. The tube 4 whendeflated is readily flexible, allowing the temporary structure to bepacked away and to be portable.

The adoption of tubes 4, especially as shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, whichpossess enhanced rigidity when inflated, raises the prospect ofproviding masts for equipment to be mounted aloft as described above,where the mast is significantly taller than heretofore, or where thebracing structure is reduced

1. A support member comprising: an elongate pneumatically inflatabletubular chamber formed from a fused flexible wall material extendingalong a longitudinal axis between an upper end and a lower end, theupper end, lower end, and fused flexible wall material defining a closedtubular chamber, wherein the tubular chamber is collapsed when deflatedand is substantially inflexible when inflated; the fused flexible wallmaterial having: an inner layer formed from a material selected fromrubber and plastics; an outer layer formed from the same material as theinner layer; internal reinforcing strands between the inner and outerlayers, wherein the internal reinforcing strands include textile strandshelically laid along the longitudinal axis, and wherein the inner andouter layers have been fused together through the interstices of thereinforcing strands; a base at the lower end of the inflatable tubularchamber, the base configured to orient the support member vertically tothe ground when the tubular chamber is inflated; and an object supportedat the upper end of the inflatable tubular chamber.
 2. The supportmember of claim 1, wherein the reinforcing strands include reinforcingstrands helically wound in opposing senses about the longitudinal axisof the tubular chamber so as to cross.
 3. The support member of claim 1,wherein the reinforcing strands include reinforcing strands helicallywound along the longitudinal axis of the tubular chamber, thereinforcing strands including a first portion of the reinforcing strandswound at a first angle to the longitudinal axis, and a separate secondportion of the reinforcing strands wound at a second angle to thelongitudinal axis.
 4. The support member of claim 1, wherein thereinforcing strands are laid at an angle of 45 degrees or less to thelongitudinal axis.
 5. The support member of claim 3, wherein the firstportion of the reinforcing strands are laid at an angle of between 10degrees and 15 degrees to the longitudinal axis and the separate secondportion of the reinforcing strands are laid at an angle of about 45degrees to the longitudinal axis.
 6. The support member of claim 3,wherein the reinforcing strands include further reinforcing strandsextending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tubular chamber. 7.The support member of claim 3, wherein the first and second portions ofthe reinforcing strands are woven together in opposing senses to form awoven textile reinforcing structure within the fused flexible wallmaterial.
 8. The support member of claim 1, wherein the object is alight assembly.
 9. The support member of claim 1, wherein the materialis PVC plastic and the reinforcing strands include nylon.
 10. A supportmember comprising: a flexible wall extending along a longitudinal axis,the flexible wall enclosing and defining a pneumatically inflatablechamber, wherein the flexible wall defines an inner surface inside theinflatable chamber, and an outer surface outside the inflatable chamber;and an inflation valve in fluid communication with the inflatablechamber and configured to pneumatically inflate the support member;wherein the flexible wall is formed from a wall material selected fromrubber and plastics; wherein the wall material includes internal textilereinforcing strands arranged between the inner and outer surfaces, thewall material enveloping the internal reinforcing strands; and whereinthe support member is collapsed when deflated and is substantiallyinflexible supporting an object above the ground when inflated.
 11. Thesupport member of claim 10, wherein the reinforcing strands includenylon reinforcing strands helically wound in opposing senses about thelongitudinal axis of the support member so as to cross.
 12. The supportmember of claim 11, wherein a first portion of the reinforcing strandsare wound at a first angle to the longitudinal axis, and a separatesecond portion of the reinforcing strands are wound at a second angle tothe longitudinal axis.
 13. The support member of claim 12, wherein thefirst angle is 45 degrees or less, and the second angle is 30 degrees orless.
 14. The support member of claim 12, wherein the first angle isbetween 10 degrees and 15 degrees and the second angle is about 45degrees.
 15. The support member according to claim 10, wherein theinflatable chamber is substantially inflexible when the inflatablechamber is inflated to a pressure of between 10 and 20 psi (6.89 to13.79*10⁴ pascals).
 16. The support member of claim 1, wherein theobject supported above the ground is a light assembly.
 17. A supportmember comprising: a first end, a second end, and a flexible wallextending along a longitudinal axis between the first and second ends,wherein the first end, second end, and flexible wall define apneumatically inflatable chamber, the flexible wall having an innersurface inside the inflatable chamber, and an outer surface outside theinflatable chamber, wherein the flexible wall is formed from wallmaterial that includes polyvinylchloride; a textile reinforcingstructure including helically laid textile strands woven together,wherein the textile reinforcing structure is within the wall materialbetween the inner and outer surfaces, the wall material from the innerand outer surfaces fused into interstices between the textile strands;and an inflation valve positioned at or near the second end of thesupport member, the inflation valve in fluid communication with theinflatable chamber and configured to pneumatically inflate the supportmember; wherein the inflatable chamber is collapsed when deflated and issubstantially inflexible supporting an object at the first end above theground when inflated.
 18. The support member of claim 17, wherein thehelically laid textile strands include a first portion of the strandswound at a first angle to the longitudinal axis, and a separate secondportion of the strands wound at a second angle to the longitudinal axis.19. The support member of claim 17, wherein the textile strands are laidat an angle of 45 degrees or less to the longitudinal axis.
 20. Thesupport member of claim 17, wherein the textile strands in the textilereinforcing structure include reinforcing strands extending parallel tothe longitudinal axis of the support member.